47

H.—ll

16. Timbering. —Any timbering work required to be done shall be paid for at shift wages. 17. No Discrimination. —No employer shall, in employing labour, discriminate against members of the union; and no employer shall, in the engagement or dismissal of his journeymen or in the conduot of his business, do anything for the purpose of injuring the society, whether directly or indirectly. Members and non-members shall, when employed together, at all times work in harmony with one another. 18. Matters not provided for. —Anything not provided for herein shall be referred to the manager and a mine committee of the employes in the mine. In case of difference, the matter to be referred to the Chairman of the Board, whose decision shall be final. Frederick Chapman, Chairman. Dated this 29th day of January, 1900. Reefton Gold-mining Dispute. In the Court of Arbitration, Westland Industrial District. The following is the award of the Arbitration Court in the dispute between various companies and the Miners' Union: — 1. Wages. —The following shall be the minimum rates of wages which shall be paid by the companies respectively in the capacities under-mentioned, that is to say :— Per Per Per Shift. Shift. Shift, s. d. s. d. s. d. Mine-shift bosses .. .. 11 8 Battery-feeders .. .. 8 0 Men working in rock-drills not Timber-men on surfaoe .. 11 8 Men working rook-breaker .. 8 0 in charge .. .. 9 6 Men employed on rise, winze, Men in charge of aerial .. 11 8 Men in charge of rock-drills in or shaft .. .. .. 10 0 Brakemen of aerial .. 10 0 rise .. .. .. 11 0 Miners .. .. ..9 6 Men employed filling aerial.. 9 0 Men working rock-drill in rise, Winders requiring Govern- Men employed tipping aerial 8 0 not in charge .. .. 10 0 ment certificates .. .. 11 8 Men in charge of shift at bat- Men exclusively employed in Engine-drivers not requiring teries .. .. .. 10 0 filling from rock-drills .. 9 0 Government certificate .. 10 0 Men working vanners .. 8 0 Men timbering in mine .. 9 6 General blacksmiths .. 13 4 Men working at slime-tables 8 0 Firemen .. .. .. 10 0 Blaoksmiths ordinarily em- Men working at ohlorination- Carpenters .. .. 11 8 ployed in sharpening tools.. 11 8 works, roasters .. .. 9 6 Piok-and-shovel labour .. 9 0 Blacksmiths'assistants, strikers 8 0 Men working in ohlorination- Ordinary surface labour other Bracemen .. .. .. 9 0 works, other than roasters 8 6 than pick and shovel .. 8 0 Chamberman .. .. 10 0 Men working at cyanide .. 9 0 Truckers .. .. .. 8 0 Men in charge of rock-drills.. 10 6 2. Men taken from the face in the mine to do temporary work on the surface, but not exceeding two successive shifts, shall be paid the same rate as if at the face, and the same hours of labour shall be observed. 3. Pi.Mi/is.—Youths under twenty-one years of age may be employed as blacksmiths' strikers, truckers, batteryfeeders, tipping the aerial, working vanners, working at slimes tables, working at cyanide, and any other work which may at any time and from time to time be agreed upon in writing between any of the companies and Workers' Union, at the following rate of wages, that is to say : For the first year, not less than ss. for each working-day of eight hours, with an increase at the end of eaoh year of not less than Is. per day until suoh youth reaches the minimum wage of the branch of employment in which he is employed. 4. Winding Men. — Where the shaft exceeds a depth of 250 ft. and there is machinery the company shall at all times hoist the men : Provided that any company may from time to time agree in writing with the Workers' Union that this clause shall be suspended with respect to any mine or portion of a mine mentioned in such agreement for the period therein specified, and in suoh ease this provision shall cease to be operative to the extent and for the period mentioned in such agreement. 5. Contracts. —In all cases in which tenders are called for work written specifications shall ba provided to work by, and no oompany shall enter into any contract for the performance of work in or about a mine without making it a binding stipulation of such contract that the contractor shall pay to the wages-men employed by him the minimum rates of wages provided by this award. 6. Holidays. —The Christmas holidays shall be from the 24th December to the Ist January, both days inclusive, but if New Year's Day should fall upon a Sunday, then the Monday following shall be observed as a holiday also. The Queen's Birthday and Labour Day shall also be holidays, provided that this clause shall not apply to battery or reduction-works; but it shall be inoumbent upon each company to allow to each man employed in batteries or reduction-works holidays of equal duration at some other convenient time, without thereby affecting the employment of any such man ; this proviso shall also apply to youths when employed in batteries or reduction-works. 7. No work shall be done on Sundays or any of the holidays above mentioned except in batteries or reductionworks, and except work which is of absolute necessity. 8. Monday and Saturday Shifts. —The night shift following the Sunday shall go on at 1 a.m. on Monday morning and shall cease work at 8 a.m. The day shift on Saturday shall go on at 8 a.m., and shall cease work at 2 p.m. Tho afternoon shift on Saturday shall go on at 2 p.m., and shall cease work at 8 p.m. 9. Hours of Labour. —Except as mentioned in the last clause, the hours of work shall be eight hours at the face in eaoh shift, in which eight hours the usual allowance shall be made for orib-time. 10. Matters not provided for. —Any matter not provided for in this award may be settled by agreement between the company concerned and the committee of the Workers' Union. 11. Preference of Unionists. — If and after the Workers' Union shall so amend its rules as to permit any person of good oharacter and sober habits now employed as a miner in this industrial distriot, and any person now residing or who may hereafter reside in this industrial district, and who is of good oharacter and sober habits, and who is a competent miner, to become a member of such union upon payment of an entrance-fee not exceeding 55., and of subsequent contributions, whether payable weekly or not, not exceeding 6d. per week, upon a written application of the person so desiring to join the Workers' Union, without ballot or other election, and shall give notice of such amendment, with a copy thereof, to each of the companies, then and in such case and thereafter each of the companies shall employ members of the Workers' Union in preference to non-members, provided that there are members of the Workers' Union equally qualified with non-members to perform the particular work required to be done, and ready and willing to undertake it: Provided that this clause shall not interfere with engagements subsisting between any company and non-unionists at the time when such amendment as aforesaid shall be made, and notice thereof shall be given to such company as aforesaid, but that such company may continue to employ any miner or other person then actually employed by such company as heretofore, although such miner or other person may not be a member of the Workers' Union, and although suoh miner or other person may from want of work in the mine or otherwise be from time to time not actually employed in the mine. 12. Until compliance by the Workers' Union with the conditions of the last clause any oompany may employ minors and other persons, whether members of Workers' Union or not ; but no oompany shall discriminate against members of the Workers' Union, and no company shall, in the employment or dismissal of men or in the conduct of the mine, do anything for the purpose of injuring the Workers' Union, whether directly or indireotly. 13. When members of the Workers' Union and non-members are employed together there shall be no distinction between members and non-members, and both shall work together in harmony, and shall receive equal pay for equal work. 14. So soon as the Workers' Union shall perform the conditions entitling the members of the union to preference under the foregoing olauses, the Workers' Union shall keep in some convenient place in Reefton a book, to be oalled